Brookhaven National Laboratory (www.bnl.gov) delivers discovery science and transformative technology to power and secure the nation’s future. Brookhaven Lab is a multidisciplinary laboratory with seven Nobel Prize-winning discoveries, 37 R&D 100 Awards, and more than 70 years of pioneering research. The Lab is primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science. Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) operates and manages the Laboratory for DOE. BSA is a partnership between Battelle and The Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University. BSA salutes our veterans and active military members with careers that leverage the skills and unique experience they gained while serving our country. Our organization fully supports service members transitioning from active duty to civilian life and pledge’s our commitment to actively hire veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Military personnel who have been formally trained or have relevant experience obtained while in service may meet educational requirements and are encouraged to apply for job opportunities at BSA.

Organizational Overview

The Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at Brookhaven is a DOE-funded national scientific user facility, offering users a supported research experience with top-caliber scientists and access to state-of-the-art instrumentation. The CFN mission is advancing nanoscience through frontier fundamental research and technique development and is the nexus of a broad collaboration network. Each year, CFN staff members support the research of nearly 600 external facility users.

Three strategic nanoscience themes underlie the CFN scientific facilities: The CFN conducts research on Nanomaterial Synthesis by Assembly, designing precise architectures with targeted functionality by organizing nanoscale components.  The CFN researches and applies platforms for state-of-the-art techniques for Accelerated Nanomaterial Discovery, integrating synthesis, advanced characterization, physical modeling, and computer science to iteratively explore a wide range of material parameters. The CFN develops and utilizes advanced capabilities for studies of Nanomaterials in Operando Conditions for characterizing materials and reactions at the atomic scale in real-world environments.

Position Description

The CFN is seeking an exceptional Postdoctoral Research Associate to contribute to multidisciplinary projects jointly supported by CFN and a multi-institutional DOE AI/ML effort.   The post-doc will join the Theory and Computation Group at CFN.  The Theory and Computation Group is composed of five permanent scientific staff members, computational infrastructure, software tools, and theoretical expertise (details online

).  The Theory and Computation Group is one of five scientific groups in the CFN, and supports nanoscience research through compute time allocations and consultation on running computational experiments.

As the post-doctoral research associate, you will have these roles and responsibilities:

• You will perform detailed research tasks that involve the application of computational modeling (including electronic structure calculations and modeling based on statistical thermodynamic) to understand nanomaterial stability, nanomaterial transformations under operando conditions.

• You will carry out computational analysis of data from X-ray spectroscopy.

• You will work on computational studies closely coupled with in situ / operando experiments at CFN and NSLS-II.

• You will apply machine learning algorithms to transfer theoretical predictions for spectroscopic data to experimental data.

• You will collaborate with scientific staff with diverse backgrounds including data analytics, X-ray spectroscopy, physical modeling, and materials theory.

• You will present and report research results and lead the publication of scientific results in peer-reviewed  journals in a timely manner.

Position Requirements

You are qualified for this post-doc position if:

• You have earned a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, or a related engineering discipline) within the past five years or will complete your degree prior to the starting date.
• You can, under minimal supervision, carry out research on solid state, surface, and/or molecular systems using existing computational methods.
• Your experience is demonstrated through publications, conference records, GitHub repository records, or other public communications.
• You are committed to fostering an environment of safe scientific work practices.
• You are committed to cultivating an inclusive and respectful workplace environment.

You are well-matched to this position if: 

• You have experience with Python programming.
• You have experience with machine learning model development.
• You have experience with modeling heterogeneous electrochemical reactions and familiarity with Pourbaix diagrams.
• You work effectively in an interdisciplinary team to tackle challenging scientific problems, particularly the application of data analytics to understand experimental results.
• You communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
• You have an excellent record of productive and creative research evidenced through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations/proceedings, and GitHub repository records or other public communications.

• Some travel may be required
• BNL policy requires that after obtaining their PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in an R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness or other life-changing events.

Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Energy and Photon Sciences Directorate are committed to your success. We offer a supportive work environment and the resources necessary for you to succeed.

At Brookhaven National Laboratory we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Our benefits program includes, but is not limited to:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Care Plans

• Flexible Spending Accounts

• Paid Time-off and Leave Programs (vacation, holidays, sick leave, paid parental leave)

• 401(k) Plan

• Flexible Work Arrangements

• Tuition Assistance, Training and Professional Development Programs

• Employee Fitness/Wellness & Recreation:  Gym/Basketball Courts, Weight Room, Fitness Classes, Indoor Pool, Tennis Courts, Sports Clubs/Activities (Basketball, Tennis, Softball, Table Tennis)

Brookhaven Science Associates requires proof of a COVID-19 vaccination for all employees. Proof of full vaccination as recognized by the CDC and/or WHO is required at the start of your employment.

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is an equal opportunity employer that values inclusion and diversity at our Lab. We are committed to ensuring that all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a veteran, disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

BNL takes affirmative action in support of its policy and to advance in employment individuals who are minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities. We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

*VEVRAA Federal Contractor

Brookhaven employees are subject to restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation at the time of hire for review by Brookhaven. The full text of the Order may be found at: https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0486.1-BOrder-a/@@images/file